I came back to work when my children were two months old. At that early age, they seem to have little awareness of anybody but their Raggedy Ann dolls, so it wasn't a matter of them missing me. I was missing them.

She subsequently earned a scholarship to Indiana University where Jane Pauley was involved in the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. After leaving The Today Show Pauley hosted Real Life with Jane Pauley and served as deputy anchor for NBC Nightly News. In 2009 Pauley joined the Board of Directors of The Mind Trust an Indianapolis-based non-profit organization that supports education innovation and reform.

She is best known for her 13-year tenure on NBC's Today program followed by 12 years as co-host of Dateline NBC and for her public acknowledgements of her struggle with bipolar disorder.